Graham Reid reveals how 'team first' mentality helped India to win bronze in hockey

The men's hockey team chief coach also spoke about the match against Germany, Simranjeet Singh and more.

The Indian men's hockey team created history on Thursday when they beat Germany 5-4 to win the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The Men in Blue clinched their first Olympic medal after a wait of 41 years. it was a fantastic performance of grit, determination and desire from Graham Reid and his men.

After the debacle of the Rio Olympics, a response was needed from Manpreet Singh and his boys to prove that hockey can still bring Indians together. This date can mark the turning point of Indian hockey, as it will inspire many youngsters to pick up the hockey stick in future and represent India.

Reflecting on the match

After the historic win, head coach Graham Reid spoke at length on his team's glorious performances, preparation and the mental battle which the players overcame to win the bronze.

Speaking about his reaction on this win against Germany, he said. "I think it was a fantastic performance from the team, obviously part from the first 7-8 minutes. There, we went to sleep and against a team like Germany, you tend to pay the price," he began.

"You (can) tell that they (Germany) were very pumped right from the first whistle. Despite paying the price early, we were switched on in the last three quarters. We saw some nice hockey from both teams. But, we were able to put the ball in the back of the nets more than our opponents," he continued.

"It is one area that we have been lacking at certain stages of the tournament. But today was really a great fightback. One of the most pleasing moments was when we were 1-3 down, after losing the semifinals, most teams will be down mentally but that shows where the current group belongs. It was wonderful to see them come back and win 5-3," the tactician expressed.

The search for a higher level of play

Graham Reid mentioned how the Indian men's team started slowly but gradually grew into the game. He also revealed how he discussed with the players to search for a higher level of gameplay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mqbcWmqKBc

"We were perhaps a bit too casual with our approach at the start. Maybe, we underestimated the Germans and how switched on they were. We started to play good hockey from the second part of the first quarter and from there, you could see a consistent improvement in our game as the game went on," he opined.

"We discussed before the game that we needed to find another level of play, as we knew that some things may not go our way. That is something I think you saw today when we were down. We dug deep and tried to play fast, aggressive hockey and it paid off today."

Reaction after the final buzzer

After the full time buzzer, players of the Indian team, along with their chief coach, Graham Reid, began celebrating their bronze medal win. Coupled with the fact that the men's team had ended a 41-year-long wait for an Olympic medal in hockey, it was a special moment for the Indians.

"It was a wonderful feeling. You let yourself go sometimes and dare to dream. One of the things we did in the morning was I showed them a picture of the bronze medal and then we got up in the bus and started thinking about the medals hanging around our necks," he revealed.

"It allowed us to put ourselves in that position. Then we zoomed back in about the task at hand and we did what we had to do to win it. It was actually a very special feeling," the 57-year-old shared.

The 'team first' mentality

It is never easy to pick someone up after losing the semifinals and then go on to win the bronze medal match. The disappointment of not making it to the finals often gets you and teams fail to live up to the occasion. Reid revealed how he instructed his team to apply a 'team first' mentality and went on to challenge for the bronze.

"Firstly, at the huddle, I spoke about the 'team first' mentality where I do not allow them to feel sorry after the loss. If we are all disappointed that we missed out on gold and silver medals, then we could not have performed as we did. We had to put that behind us and focus on the bronze medal game. It was down to the 'team first' mentality and togetherness that brought us here," he said.

Decision to not pick Simranjeet Singh and reaction after his brace

Graham Reid didn't pick Simranjeet Singh initially in the 16-member team for the Tokyo Olympics. However, the coach included him among the reserves later on and the players also scored a very crucial brace on Thursday.

Speaking on the whole situation, the Australian tactician said, "Well, that's a thing about sports that when you get an opportunity you have to take it with both hands. We called him today as we were sharing the load as the heat here in Tokyo has played a significant role in our games. We play at such a high tempo so it was pretty strategic to move players around. It was just great to have Simranjeet around, though I asked him for three goals, he provided two, so not really that happy, " Reid laughed.

Simranjeet Singh, who had a delightful campaign at the Tokyo Olympics, accompanied Reid to the press conference and stayed humble.

"When the team was (being) selected, I had faith that I will be in the final squad. But unfortunately, I did not make the cut and it was not a nice feeling. Then that night, I got a message from the coach and he understood my situation and then I replied to him that it does not matter if I am in the team or not, but it does matter where we finish at the end of our Olympics campaign," Simranjeet Singh revealed.

The togetherness amid tough situations

Graham Reid has always claimed this Indian team to be in their best shape mentally. The Australian once again highlighted how staying together at the national camp, due to COVID-19, has brought the players closer than ever and it has reflected on the pitch.

"I think the last 15 months have been very difficult for everyone and in this time period, our mental resilience have only increased. We should not underestimate the power of everyone staying together in these 15 months. We went through issues that none of us were prepared for and that made us mentally strong. A lot of that came out in the second and third quarters today," the Australian opined.

"It was the first time, where we were able to control the environment. We made sure that the bubble where you are in at the Olympics is controllable. It is very, very difficult with players going outside and watching other events and that was not the case over here. It was important for us, staff and the players, to maintain that togetherness and I feel that played a part in this win," he highlighted.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and join our community on Telegram.